Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-08

gress was marked in the Senate by one OF the
spiciest debates which occurred in the rathel
tedious aud uninteresting session. Senator
Hoar took occasion to criticise in strong but
perfectly parliamentary language the action
of the House juata composed OF four or nve
men who, BY holding back appropriation
bills, succeed every year in throttling useful
and necessary legislation and practically die
tate to Congress what shall and what shall
not be done.
Mr.. Hoar said that he desired to call the
attention of the Senate to what seemed to
him yerv grave evil-one that threatened in
substance a revolutionary change in the con-
stitutional methods of the Government.
What, he asked, was the effect of the hold
ing back of appropriation bills until the last
seven or ten or fifteen days of the session OF
Congress? The result was that, unless the
House and the Senate both submitted to the
dictation of some three or four men who hap
pened to be members OF the Committee on
Appropriations in the House of Representa-
tives, on the majority side. the great sppro-
pration bills fail and an extra session be-
came necessary. Mr.. Hoar continued, af-
ter short colloquy with Senator Beck, as
follows:
at is perfectly notorious, Mr.. President,
that this BODY has passed bill after bill, with
substantial unanimity, having no political
significance-bills matured by able men on
the her side of this chamber and having the
Endorsement of their great authority; and
vet because three or four persons, clothed
with the authority of the House of Represen-
tatives, chose to oppose those bills they could
not get consideration in that body. although
there is no matter of doubt that nine-tenths
of the members of the House would be
in their favor if they were brought up. That
is a condition of things which in the time OF
our fathers would have caused revolution.
read the other day in the newspapers a
letter from gentleman who was said to be
Speaker of the House of Representatives Il
will not undertake to say whether he holds
that office or notl. 1t was addressed to a
gentleman who was said to hold the office OF
chairman of the Committee on Appropria-
tions in the House Of Representatives and to
two other gentlemen of wide National repu-
tation, holding high positions in the councils
of the democratic party. These three gentle.
men wrote to the Speaker and complained
that they had not been recognized by him for
the purpose of moving measure tor the
revision of the tariff-a measure which the
American people desire, and which majority
of the members of that body also dssired. And
the SIP baker replied, stating as his reason for
refusing to recognize, on the floor OF the
body over which he presided, gentleman to
make that motion, that he did not approve of
the measure which that gentleman proposed
to move and that therefore, he would not
recognize him for that purpose. But he saio
that if these gentlemen would carry theil
proposed revision of the tariff into q demo
cratic caucus, and would submit to whal
should turn out to be the views of that
caucus on the subject, whether they were the
views of the House of Representatives, or not
he, then, in his discretion, would permit thai
motion to be made. Now say that up to
any time within the last twenty yerrs, such
an attempted usurpation of power would have
created a storm in this country that woule
have either driven the usurper out OF hi
seat or would have occasioned revolution
in the government itself. Here is CLAIM
advanced in the face of the American PEG
pie, alike overthrowing the constitutions
power of the Senate aud the constitutions
power of the House, and degrading ever.
single member of that great assembly, tn
House of Representatives, which ought to b
the most dignifed legislative body OIL
the face of the earth. Mr.. President, Their
has not come before the American Peopl
since the end of the war question for deter
mnation that involves such grave consttu
tional results. and on which their interests S
much depend as the question whether tni
usurpation of power shall be permitted to g
on. Henry CLAW was supposed to have
pretty strong will. Mr.. Clay would no NOR
| L. ,ty ho
he was Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives than he would have ventured to eros
the Niagara River twenty rods above tn
Falls"
Mr.. Saulsbury-I rise to a question @
order. Is it in order for member of tn
Senate to arraign the House of Represents
tives or any member of the House of Repre-
sentatives 10 political speech in the Senate
Mr.. Hoar-I have kept within the rule
pretty carefully.
The presiding officer (Mr. Ingalls)-Th
Chair understands that the language of tn
| Senator from Massachusetts has been strict
within the rules prescribed by this body.
Mr.. Hoar-Mr. Blaine, under whom man
of US served in another place, is general
supposed to have pretty strong will and
pretty strong desire to have accomplished
the administration of the country the thing
which he thinks ought to be done. I serve
ia the House of Representatives with thu
accomplished gentleman for eight years, fc
six of which he was Speaker, and the humblel
democrat when we had majority of thre'
fourths or four-ffths in that body was pc
mitted to make his motion to suspend til
rules every Monday and every day within tn
last six days of adjournment. They used I
nut US on the record with all sorts of col